Origin of Christmas bells

My quest is recently based on Yule... and where did all these Christmas things come from??? Here is where my path lead....


Bells have been around since ancient times, why yes of course and they currently play their biggest role at Christmas. I kept finding that "Ringing bells to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ" 



Pagan Times
During pagan times (pre-Christian), bells were often rung in the fall and winter to ward off evil spirits during the long, dark nights. As bells were relatively inexpensive, many people could afford to own them.

Early Christianity to Today
Early on, church bells were rung to announce big things: danger, celebrations, births, deaths, etc. However, over time, they came to be a sign of celebration rather than danger, tying in nicely with Christmas. In addition, when people walked around their villages singing carols, they often rang bells because they were light and easy to carry. Those bells have evolved into the hand bells we currently see in many churches.
Read more: The History of Christmas Bells | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/about_5410419_history-christmas-bells.html#ixzz2F3Ozgnff